


Thirteen Hours

by Redjay27



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drinking, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Getting Together, Lance is an oblivious mess, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, keith is a pining mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-12-06 21:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18225908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redjay27/pseuds/Redjay27
Summary: Sometimes the new door opens before the old has shut. Sometimes the fall comes before the jump. The spark without a match. The thunder with no lightning.Such things ignite chaos, mess with the order the world has so kindly offered. But chaos isn’t always bad and leaping before you look can lead to adventures far greater than ourselves. Given time, the chaos brings clarity and the universe opens up before us.All it takes is thirteen hours.ORKeith spends one final night out with his five closest friends before the end of the semester. Drinking, shenanigans, a little adventure, and possibly even a couple of confessions is a recipe for one of the greatest nights of his life.





	1. Hour 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome!
> 
> Just one little quick note before we begin. This story is going to be 13 parts, each one depicting exactly one hour of the story. Because of that the chapters will probably be very wonky with length. Some will be shorter like this first one while others will be pretty long. Just a heads up.

**6pm**

 

Palms came down hard on the table, causing Keith to jump, glancing up in the process. He wasn’t surprised to see stormy blue eyes shifting between him and the others seated at the table. He’d been expecting the outburst for a while now, it being over an hour since anyone had said a word.

Piles of books and papers were spread out in front of him, not in the least bit disturbed by the sudden motion of his tablemate. Keith had been reading through his psychology notes, trying helplessly to understand the never-ending list of vocab that he had to have memorized in only a few short days. A half-chewed pen cap rested between his teeth, forgotten as he examined the brown-haired boy across the table from him.

Tan skin was flushed, whether from frustration or exhaustion, Keith wasn’t sure. Soft strands of short brown hair were disheveled, a product of stressed fingers pulling at the locks. Lips were pressed together in a hard line, jaw clenched far too tightly. Steely eyes scanned over the table, making sure all attention was on him before he spoke.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Lance practically shouted, causing glares from the surrounding tables to be shot in his direction. He didn’t seem to pay any mind to them as he continued. “The semester is over in, like, a week and all we do is study and drink way too much coffee. We’re going to go crazy from caffeine overdose at this point."

Keith couldn’t help the glance he threw at his currently empty coffee cup. He had been debating making another run to the library cafe. It would’ve been his fifth cup that day.

It was Shiro who spoke up first, an almost apologetic look on his face. “Exam week is right around the corner, Lance.” His tone was even and understanding. “And some of us are graduating. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“That’s my point!” Lance argued, a slight whine to his voice. “In a week we probably won’t see you or Allura for a really long time. Do you really want our last memories together to be studying in some stupid library for an exam you probably won’t remember anyway?”

"They’re not dying.” Pidge said, snickering from behind their laptop screen while pushing their glasses up.

“I know that.” Lance shot at them sharply.  “But Allura’s going to be moving all the way across the country and Shiro’s just straight up going to work in Japan for a whole year. They might as well be dying.”

“Okay, buddy.” Hunk cut in, setting down the pencil he had been taking notes with. “That’s a bit of an overstatement, don’tcha think? We can still call and text them and stuff.”

Lance shook his head. “I know, I know but…” He took a deep breath before continuing. “We won’t be able to do anything all together. No more movie nights. No more late-night food runs. No more weekend trips to the beach.”

“Lance…” Allura said, voice soft and eyes gentle. “We’ve known that doing stuff like that has been coming to an end for a while.”

“But it’s not the end yet.” Lance countered, glancing around the table again. “Look, it’s Friday night. Our _last_ Friday night before the semester is over. We should do something fun. Something that doesn’t include textbooks and coffee.”

“What? You wanna do like a one last hurrah kinda thing?” Pidge asked, giving Lance a curious glance, intrigue gleaming from behind their glasses.

“Yes! Exactly!” Lance replied, eyes lighting up and head nodding frantically. “One last big, exciting, fun, wild night. Just the six of us. After that you can all study to your heart’s content.”

Keith considered the idea, beginning to chew on the pen cap again. Lance had made a good point. After the semester was over, they probably wouldn’t see Shiro or Allura for a really long time. And while Keith had known that for a while now, he couldn’t deny the slight ache in his chest when he thought about it. Over the past couple of years this group had become something of a family to him. A weird, extremely dysfunctional, messed up family, but a family nonetheless. Losing a third of that family was going to hurt. And he was sure he wasn’t the only one feeling the loss. Maybe taking a night off to just be with his friends instead of worrying about the upcoming exams wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Let’s do it.” Keith said, taking the pen from his mouth and setting it down on his still-open notebook. It was the first time he’d spoken since Lance’s outburst had started.

All eyes turned to him, some filled with surprise and others curiosity. He could feel a number of questions hanging in the air around the table and Keith didn’t have to guess what they were. Of the group, he had always been the most reluctant to go out and do anything. He was perfectly content with staying home and enjoying the quiet of his apartment. Any time he went out was usually the result of Lance or Pidge physically dragging him out the door, claiming that he couldn’t be a hermit forever. For him to agree so willingly to a night out was unheard of.

...Well, until now, he supposed.  

Pidge was the first to move, grabbing two pencils from the table and holding them up towards Keith in a cross formation. “Stay back, demon! Give us Keith back!”

Keith rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. “I’m serious. For once Lance has a point...a miracle, really.”

“Okay, rude.” Lance replied, offended. “Literally all of my ideas are pure gold.”

Keith resisted the urge to roll his eyes again, instead saying, “A couple hours break is probably healthy for us anyway. I know my mind feels like mush.”

“Hmm…” Hunk said, scratching at his chin and glancing down at his notes. “I guess if it’s only for a few hours…”

“Ha! Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!” Lance said brightly, shooting a smile at their large friend. “That’s three. Who else is in?”

Allura sighed, brushing her long white hair over her shoulder. “I must admit that one last get together sounds like fun...I’m in.”

“Hell yeah! Shiro? Pidge?” Blue eyes darted between the two expectantly.

“Like I would miss it.” Pidge replied, closing their laptop. “This is my chance to finally see what drunk Shiro looks like...there’s gonna be alcohol, right?”

“There is now.” Lance replied, excitement lacing every word. “Shiro?”

All eyes turned to the oldest of their group. He looked contemplative, brow furrowed as if in deep thought about something. His gaze kept shifting from the open book in front of him to the group of people waiting impatiently for his reply.

Finally, he said, “I guess a break isn’t such a bad idea…”

Lance slapped the table loudly, standing up in his excitement. “And that’s six!” He once again ignored the glares that were shot at him. “Okay, everyone go get ready. We’ll meet up at Keith and Shiro’s place at…” Lance took a moment to glance at his phone, face scrunching in thought. “Seven...yeah, seven should be enough time.”

Keith couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his face at Lance’s apparent excitement. Leave it to him to be the life of the group. Only someone as stubborn as Lance could change the course of a night with seemingly no effort. And it was obvious just how much he changed it by the buzzing energy that circulated the group as they stood up and started collecting their things. Snippets of conversations filled with anticipation reached Keith’s ears as they started to disperse. Allura and Pidge headed out one way, the smaller of the two talking animatedly with their hands, no doubt scheming about getting Shiro drunk. Lance had pulled Hunk in a different direction, voice still too loud for the quiet of the library. All the remained was himself and Shiro.

The smile was still on Keith’s face as he placed the last of his study materials in his bag, zipping it closed and then swinging it over one shoulder.

“Ready?” Shiro asked him as he zipped up his own bag.

“Yeah.” Keith replied, grabbing his phone from the table and then heading towards the library doors that lead to the parking lot, Shiro falling in step beside him.

“I should’ve known this was gonna happen.” Shiro commented, shaking his head slightly and chuckling. 

Keith glanced at him briefly. “What? That Lance would hijack the night?”

“That.” Shiro said, voice light. “And also that you would agree with him.”

Keith raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

Shiro chuckled again as the two pushed open the library doors, the warm evening air welcoming them. “You’ve been restless for weeks. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“Restless?” Keith asked, brow furrowing in thought. It was true that a lot of things had been on his mind lately, exams just being one of them. There was also Shiro and Allura’s graduation, finding a part time job for the summer, and picking a place to live next year. A lot of stuff had started to pile up and Keith had never been known to perform well under pressure.

“Stressed.” Shiro elaborated. “Makes sense that you’d want something to take your mind off of things.”

Keith only hummed in response, not really wanting to admit the real reason he had agreed to a night out. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed by the ache in his chest whenever he thought about their group splitting up, but rather that Shiro knew the real reason and had purposely given him a lie to cling to. Maybe it was easier for Shiro if Keith didn’t talk about the hurt they were all feeling. Maybe it was easier for Keith too.

Keith breathed in the spring air, relishing the way it warmed his throat and swirled around his lungs. The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the asphalt. As the pair approached Shiro’s old, dinged up beater, Keith found himself listening to the sounds of the evening. The buzz of the cicadas. The breeze that rushed past his ears. The muffled voices of another pair of students that were making their way towards the library.

No words were spoken as the two got into the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Keith leaned against the widow, eyes taking in the flow of city life. Despite the passing of rush hour, the sidewalks were still full, people of all ages moving fluidly between each other. Cars passed on either side of Shiro’s, most far nicer than the beige piece of junk Keith found himself in now. It had been three years since Keith had moved to the city, yet he still found it to be an entity he could never quite understand. There was a breath to the city, an inhale and exhale that he had never been able to keep pace with. But even so, he still appreciated how organic it always felt.

It wasn’t until they were almost to the small parking garage below their apartment building that Shiro broke the silence. “So what do you think Lance has planned?”

Keith snorted at the question, turning his attention to his friend. “Who knows? Probably something ridiculous.”

A smirk tugged at Shiro’s lips. “A night out wouldn’t be complete without one of his crazy ideas. Remember the time he signed us all up for that drinking competition?”

Keith laughed, shaking his head. “I actually don’t.”

“Oh right! You blacked out that night.” Shiro replied, also laughing. “And Pidge threw up in the alley behind the bar.”

“We still won, though.” Keith pointed out, still shaking with laughter. “Thanks to you.”

Shiro gave a smile shrug, eyes shining with amusement. “What can I say? I know how to hold my liquor.”

“I think our picture is still hanging up in that bar.”

“It better be after I had to deal with all the hangovers the next day.” Shiro mumbled, somewhat darkly as he parked the car and shut it off.

Keith only laughed again as he got out, remembering how he had begged Shiro to just kill him. By far the worst hangover of his life, but he didn’t regret it and neither did anyone else in the group. That’s how their nights usually went. It would start normal, just friends hanging out. And then Lance would have some crazy idea and drag everyone else into it. Before they knew it, some havoc was being reeked and mistakes were being made. But no matter what happened, the next morning always came and the group was left reminiscing about how much fun they had all had. So, no. Never any regrets.

The two were still chuckling about Shiro having to take care of a bunch of hungover college students when the elevator arrived on the sixth floor of their building. The two exited the elevator, heading down the hall until they reached apartment 603. Shiro unlocked the door and entered, flipping the light on as he did. Keith followed, throwing his bag down next to the door and kicking off his shoes.

The apartment they lived in wasn’t that big, but larger than most the university offered as housing. Most of the furniture that accompanied the space was secondhand, having been picked up at Goodwill or given to them by friends and relatives. Nothing matched. But even so, Keith found that he liked the tackiness. There was a certain homey quality to the way their nineties beige and pink patterned couch clashed with the green curtains that hung over the small window looking down onto the busy street below.

Keith passed the living room and kitchen, heading down the short hall and entering his room. Much like the rest of his apartment, nothing in his room matched. Or rather, that it did match but not in a way that others would notice. Everything in the room was _Keith._ From the old acoustic guitars resting in their stands in the corner of his room, mostly untouched for the better part of a year, to the bunched up black sheets on his bed to the star charts that were taped to the wall next to his bed. It was all Keith. And anyone who knew him well enough would agree.

Keith shrugged off the grey hoodie he had been wearing, tossing it onto the pile of dirty clothes that sat in the far corner of his room. He then stepped in front of the mirror that hung above his dresser, indigo eyes examining himself. He definitely looked more worse for wear than usual, a testament to his upcoming exams. There were heavy bags under his eyes that stood out against his pale skin. He pulled the hair tie from his hair, letting the soft black strands fall around his face and down his neck. His hair seemed more untamed than usual and he wasn’t sure if it was from the stress or from the humidity that had started to accompany the warm May weather. He ran his fingers through it a few times in a feeble attempt to tame it, but soon gave up with a sigh.

Looking away from the mirror, Keith began to dig through the drawers of his dresser, pulling out various articles of clothing. He didn’t think his ratty t-shirt and sweats that he had worn to the library were fitting for whatever Lance had in store for them. And even if they were, he couldn’t help but feel like he wanted to look somewhat presentable for their last night out together. It seemed appropriate all things considered.

In a matter of minutes Keith had changed, his old clothes discarded in the same way his hoodie had been. He now wore a not-so-ratty black t-shirt with an open, dark red flannel over the top of it. He had on black skinny jeans that were torn at the knees and a pair of converse that had seen their fair share of adventures. He had made one last attempt to calm his hair before giving up and covering the worst of it with a black beanie.

“Good enough.” Keith muttered, glancing in the mirror one last time before shoving his phone in his back pocket and exiting back out into the hall.

He glanced at the clock on the microwave as he passed the kitchen, noticing that the others should be arriving soon. It had become a sort of tradition for everyone to meet up at Keith and Shiro’s apartment before going out. None of them were really sure when it started, but it had become a ritual that no one really argued with.

Shiro was already waiting in the living room, seated on the couch and scrolling through his phone. Keith noticed he had changed as well. He had a dark pair of slacks on instead of the jeans he had been wearing. He wore a white button-up shirt that matched his white Vans and a light blue jean jacket with the sleeves rolled up. Keith resisted the urge to roll his eyes at how easily Shiro was pulling his look off. It had often been a joke among the group that Shiro should’ve been a model instead of studying something boring like business.

“You almost look like a person and not some exhausted alien who just crash-landed on earth.” Shiro commented lightly as he looked up from his phone, eyes running up and down Keith’s figure.

Keith shot a glare at him. “Thanks.”

“The others should be here soon.” Shiro said, not seeming bothered by Keith’s glare. “I got a text from Pidge that them and Allura are on their way over.”

“And Lance and Hunk?”

Shiro shook his head. “Nothing yet. But I doubt they would be late. Lance would be furious.”

“True.” Keith mused, picturing Lance red-faced and screeching at Hunk to drive faster.

“So…” Shiro said, placing an elbow on the armrest and resting his chin in his hand. “You gonna tell him tonight?”

Keith found himself freezing, eyes going slightly wide at the unprompted question. He could feel his voice catch in his throat, anxiety starting to eat away at his insides. He could feel his face heat up, no doubt turning red in his embarrassment. “U-Um…” Keith stuttered, tearing his eyes away from Shiro, suddenly finding the far wall of the room to be extremely interesting. “I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

Shiro sighed, giving Keith a knowing look. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s been a year, Keith. It’s clear that you’re not just gonna get over him.”

Keith sputtered, looking for some way to derail the conversation. It was true that he had confided his _infatuation_ with a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed loudmouth to Shiro, but he certainly didn’t need him bringing that up now.  

“All I’m saying,” Shiro continued, ignoring Keith’s failed attempts at speaking. “Is that tonight might be a perfect opportunity to come clean. Get a bit of alcohol in you and just...get it all out there.”

“What?! No! No way. That’s not happening.” Keith said frantically, finally finding his voice. “There’s nothing I need to ‘come clean’ about or whatever.”

Shiro chuckled. “Are you sure about that?”

Keith nodded. “Positive. Look, I might have...had a thing for Lance but that’s over with. I’m over him. It’s in the past. Completely forgotten.”

Shiro gave him a skeptical look. “Really? You’re completely over him?”

“Yep.” Keith replied, popping the ‘p’. “He’s a friend. That’s it. Nothing more.”

Shiro hummed in response, eyes scanning Keith again, looking for the cracks in his lie. Keith kept what he hoped was a casual look on his face, praying that Shiro would drop the subject.

Truth be told, Keith was in no way over the tall, tan boy that he called a friend. For the past year he had found his thoughts frequently straying to the lively, somewhat flamboyant boy that had wormed his way into Keith’s life. It had started small. So small, in fact, that Keith hadn’t noticed it at first. It had started with occasional glances in his direction, unprompted and without purpose. Then came the light feeling in his chest whenever he heard Lance’s rich, tenor voice. Then it was the fluttering of butterflies whenever he was close. And from there Keith had been enveloped in a whirlwind of emotion and struggle, wanting to bask in the warmth of Lance’s presence but not wanting anyone to know.

As with many other things, Shiro had noticed Keith’s shift and pried enough to break down his walls, drawing the truth from him. And Keith could admit that it had felt good to tell someone, but that had been short lived when soon after he found himself receiving knowing glances from Shiro whenever Lance was around. It was infuriating.

So it was better that Keith deny his feelings. It was better to lock them away and just ignore them. Besides, it wasn’t like anything was ever going to happen. Lance was...so much more than Keith. He was brighter. He was freer. More alive. He lived in the moment instead of looking behind him. Keith was not that. He wasn’t any of that. What could he offer him that wasn’t something Lance already had?

So no, Keith would not be coming clean about anything. Not tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about his friends. It was supposed to be their last night together. It was going to be filled with adventure and good memories. There was no room for Keith’s unchecked emotions. He would enjoy tonight and try not to think about-

Keith jumped at the sudden pounding on their door, a muffled voice calling their names from the other side.

“I think Lance and Hunk are here…” Shiro said, an almost fond look on his face.

Maybe not thinking about him was going to be harder than Keith had thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Any and all feedback you are willing and able to give is greatly appreciated. 
> 
> For any updates or sneak peeks at upcoming chapters to this story, you can follow me on tumblr [@wingsofvoltron](https://wingsofvoltron.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Stay safe and I'll see you next time!
> 
> ~Redjay


	2. Hour 2

**7pm**

 

Keith leaned against a wall, eyes scanning over the people that had amassed in the apartment. Conversations filled the room, all of them about nothing and everything at the same time.

Pidge had immediately wandered into their kitchen when they arrived, snooping through the various cabinets, even going so far as to stand on the counters to reach the taller cupboards. Hunk had joined them, a worried expression on his face. He stood behind Pidge as they stepped over all of the dishes and left out boxes of food, hands posed, ready to catch them if they fell. He could hear Hunk offering to get whatever Pidge needed, tone concerned, but Pidge just ignored him and kept up their search.

Allura sat on the couch next to Shiro, angled so she was partially facing him. From what Keith could hear, their conversation was about their upcoming graduation. Allura had an easy-going smile on her face while Shiro’s expression was more prideful. While Keith wasn’t happy about them leaving, he certainly could understand their excitement. Their hard work was about to pay off. That was worth celebrating at least.  

He had seen scenes similar to this one countless times before. And despite the bittersweet feelings that permeated the atmosphere of the apartment, Keith felt relaxed. This was familiar. Ordinary even. No matter what the night had in store for him, he was among the people he cared about most. And quite frankly, that was enough.

Keith’s gaze shifted as he heard the bathroom door open, Lance emerging with a confident look on his face. Just like everyone else, he had changed out of his studying clothes. He wore dark slim-fit jeans that were rolled at the ankle, emphasizing the sleek, light brown lace-up shoes he sported. He had on a white V-neck with a grey collared shirt over the top, sleeves pushed up past his elbows. Keith could tell that he had spent some time on his hair, the browns strands now resting neatly where before they had been untamed.

Keith felt his insides seize, like something had grabbed his heart and wasn’t letting go. It was painful, yet not. The pressure was maddening, like at any moment a part of him would burst. But as Keith's eyes followed the tan-skinned boy as he made his way back towards the living room, he found he wanted it to. He wanted to know what it felt like after the explosion. After his emotions had run away from him and he was left exposed, vulnerable.

Yet he knew better than anyone how impossible that was. And so Keith forced himself to suck in a few deep breaths, turning  his eyes away from the taller boy. And slowly he could feel the grip loosen, the pressure easing until it was as if it had never been there, an empty feeling taking its place.

“Okay, guys!” Lance called, voice echoing slightly. “Circle up!” He had stopped in the middle of the living room, blue eyes glancing between the different members of their group.

Keith could hear Pidge sigh heavily before they hopped off the counter, feet hitting the floor with a loud thud. Shortly after, they entered the living room, a relieved looking Hunk in tow. Shiro and Allura’s conversation cut off, both of their attention shifting to Lance. Keith didn’t move from his position, not seeing a reason to.

Once Lance was satisfied that everyone was paying attention to him, he clapped his hands together and said, “Alright. So, in just a few short minutes the greatest night of our lives will begin.”

Pidge snorted from where they were perched on the armrest of the couch. “Greatest night of our lives? That seems a bit like an overstatement.”

Lance narrowed his eyes in their direction, expression turning serious. “Hardly. I’m positive that tonight will go down in history. This will be the kinda night you tell your grandchildren about.”

“You think I’m gonna tell my grandchildren about that one time I got really drunk in college?” Hunk asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Whatever.” Lance replied, waving his hand dismissively. “You get my point.”

“And what exactly makes you think this will be the greatest night of our lives?” Keith asked, tone skeptical.

“Ah, great question, Keith. Thank you.” Lance said, turning to give him a sly look. “Anyone care to guess why this night is going to be the best?”

There was silence in the room for a moment, five sets of eyes shifting between each other, waiting for someone else to answer. It was Shiro who spoke first.

“Did you come up with some crazy idea?” He asked, tone even.

Lance smiled brightly at him. “Yes!...and no!”

“Yes and no?” Pidge asked dryly. “What does that mean?”

Lance let out a low chuckle before answering. “Yes, I came up with a crazy idea. It’s possibly the craziest idea that this wonderful brain has ever thought up.”

“Does that brain want to stop beating around the bush and just tell us?” Keith asked, rolling his eyes at Lance’s dramatics.

Lance clicked his tongue in irritation, angling a glare at Keith. “Fine, fine. The plan for tonight is…” He paused, blue eyes looking between each member, a certain spark dancing within them. “No plan!”

There was another silence in the room, no one seeming to understand what he said. Keith himself found his brows furrowing in thought, trying to process the turn the conversation had taken.

“Um...what?” Hunk asked, head cocked to the side in confusion. “No plan?”

Lance nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly. I haven’t planned a single thing for tonight.”

“But...why?” Allura asked, giving him a curious look.

Lance gave her a knowing smile before answering. “Well, it’s like this. We always go out with some sort of plan. And I was trying to come up with a good idea for our last night. And it kinda hit me...why limit ourselves to a plan?” He paused for a moment, surveying the expressions of his friends, blue eyes briefly meeting Keith’s confused gaze. “Things have gotten pretty insane when we _had_ a plan. Can you imagine what’ll happen when we _don’t_ have one? The possibilities are endless!”

“So what? You want us to just wing it? See where the night takes us and shit like that?” Pidge asked.

“Pretty much.” Lance replied. “But don’t worry. I already know where we’re going to start.”

“So you do have a plan.” Allura chimed in.

Lance shook his head. “No, no, no. I only know where we’re going to start. If this whole winging it thing is gonna work, we need to loosen up. Relax. Get rid of that pesky conscious and all that.”

“You mean get drunk.” Shiro said patiently.

“Precisely.” Lance replied. “And the best place to do that?”

 “The Lion’s Den.” Keith answered almost automatically. It was the group's favorite bar. Not a high-end place by any means, pretty much the opposite in fact. Mostly broke college kids frequented the place, any person with a reasonable amount of money choosing to spend their time somewhere more respectable. The group had spent many Friday nights there.

“Correct!” Lance practically sang, another broad smile breaking across his face. “We’ll go there, get a little tipsy, and then just see what happens after that.”

There was another silence in the room, each member seeming to be thinking over Lance’s proposal. Keith had nothing against the idea personally. He certainly didn’t mind getting a little drunk. His overworked mind could use the distraction. And he had to admit, not knowing what he was getting himself into had sparked some bizarre form of intrigue in him. It was a step into the unknown, like he was about to explore uncharted territory. And he had never doubted Lance’s ideas before. He didn’t see a reason to start now.

“Well,” Keith said, pushing himself off the wall. “No use wasting time. Let’s head out.”

Keith’s voice seemed to push everyone into action, sealing the deal on Lance’s idea. A few murmurs of agreement rose up from the group as they stood up and started collecting their things. Keith himself moved towards the door where he had dropped his bag earlier, bending down to fish his wallet out of one of the pockets.

As he stood back up, shoving his wallet into his back pocket, he noticed Pidge approaching him, a devious expression on their face.

“What’s up?” Keith asked, giving his short friend a curious look.

Pidge smirked at Keith, a devilish gleam in their eyes. “Tonight’s the night, Keith. I’m finally gonna beat him.”

Keith gave them a confused look. “Beat who?”

Pidge let out a bark of laughter before leaning in close, dropping their voice down low. “Shiro, of course. He’s getting drunk tonight for sure.”

Keith let out an amused snort. “I seriously doubt that. I’ve known him way longer than you. Not once have I ever seen him get even a little tipsy.”

Pidge chuckled darkly and then said, “Yeah, but I’ve got a plan. I’m even calling in back up.”

“Back up? Who?”

“Nu-uh.” Pidge replied, wagging their finger at him. “You’ll find out soon enough. But all I’m saying is that tonight the beast is gonna be unleashed.”

“...good luck with that.” Keith said, tone dry. “Let me know if it works out for you.”

Before Pidge had a chance to respond, the two found themselves be ushered out the door by an impatient Lance. It wasn’t long before everyone had exited the apartment and started on their way towards the elevator.

Their voices echoed in the hall, making their small group sound much larger than it was. Hunk strode next to him, talking about the different drinks he was going to order once they reached the bar. Keith indulged in the conversation, enjoying the calming presence of Hunk. Of everyone in the group, he was definitely the most level-headed - even more so than Shiro. And it was often that Keith found himself talking to him when life got complicated. Not necessarily about his problems, but more just about anything and everything. Hunk’s laid-back and optimistic outlook on the world seemed to overpower most hardships that clouded the heart and mind. Tonight seemed to be no different. Keith felt an easiness wash over him as he listed what he was going to order.

The ride to the lobby didn’t last long and soon Keith found himself exiting out into the evening once more. The sun had still not set, the sky a dazzling array of orange and pinks. Breathing in, Keith could smell the excess of exhaust from the cars that sat idle in the city traffic. Other people passed their group as they made their way in the direction of The Lion’s Den, most not giving them a second look. It wasn’t uncommon to see a group such as themselves walking around on a Friday night.

“Hey…”

Keith glanced over as Lance fell into step beside him, the confident demeanor he had been wearing back at the apartment now replaced with a sheepish, almost bashful expression. There was a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks, blue eyes locked on the sidewalk in front of them. One of his hands was raised to the back of his head, fingers scratching nervously at his scalp.

Keith found himself taken momentarily off guard by the shift. If anything, he expected Lance to be boastful, bragging about his no-plan plan for the night. The Lance Keith knew would be practically bouncing with pride, a goofy smirk on his face and extra spring in his step. But that was not the Lance he was seeing now. And if Keith was being honest, he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with that.

“Hey…” Keith repeated back to him, a caution to his tone. “You okay?”

Blue eyes glanced up briefly at him before looking away again, just the smallest hint of surprise gleaming in them. “What? Yeah, of course.” Lance replied, laughing nervously. “Why would you even ask that?”

“Why indeed…” Keith muttered, side-eyeing the brown-haired boy walking next to him.

Lance didn’t respond to him, either not hearing Keith or just ignoring him. Keith himself was at a loss for words. Usually in any conversation with the energetic boy next to him, it was Lance that did the talking and Keith was just along for the ride. It was rare that Lance was the quiet one and as such, Keith really didn’t know what to say.

He did, however, find small solace in the uncertain expression on Lance’s face. It looked like he was deep in thought about something, face slightly scrunched and teeth biting at his lower lip. Lance probably wasn’t so much as expecting Keith to strike up a conversation, but rather trying to gather his own thoughts.

The silence between them stretched on for a few moments. Keith found himself glancing to the brown-haired boy frequently, trying unsuccessfully to figure out what had caused him to recede into his own mind. The others in the group didn’t seem to notice the silence between them, too lost in their own conversations.

It was with a sigh that Keith decided to break the silence. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“W-What?” Lance asked, jumping slightly, clearly not expecting to be pulled from his thoughts. “Hurt myself?”

“Thinking that hard.” Keith explained casually. “You’re just gonna give yourself a headache.”

Lance’s expression turned dark, a fire lighting in his eyes. “Call me crazy, but I think you just called me dumb.” His voice was sharp, but there was no real malice behind the words.

Keith smirked. “It was definitely implied.”

Lance huffed, hands bunching into fists at his side. “I’ll have you know that I’m _super_ smart! Way smarter than _you_ at least!”

“Mhm, sure.” Keith replied, tone disinterested. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Lance said, voice rising in pitch. “And here I was trying to be nice to you! That’s the last time I ever do that.”

Keith found his cool demeanor fading, being replaced by confusion. “Nice to me? Why? You’re never nice to me.”

And it was true. Lance wasn’t nice to Keith, but that was just how they were. Ever since they had met back in freshman year, there had been a constant tension between them. And while Keith wasn’t really sure where the tension had come from, he did know that it had shifted slightly over the years. What had started as an intense rivalry, each of them trying to upstage the other any chance they got, had now become a more relaxed, playful form of competition. They still tried to prove themselves better than the other, but there was no animosity behind it. Most of their attempted upstaging was accompanied by sarcastic banter and friendly teasing. So for Lance to come out and admit he was trying to be nice? That was unheard of.

Some of the anger seemed to drain from Lance’s face, being replaced by embarrassment. “I mean...I just wanted to...fuck, I’m not good at this.”

“Good at being nice?” Keith asked, smirking in amusement.

“No.” Lance said, rolling his eyes. “I’m trying to thank you, you prick.”

For what felt like the billionth time that evening, Keith found himself caught off guard by something Lance had said. “Thank me? For what?”

Lance let out a defeated sigh, voice dropping low, “For, ya know, agreeing with my idea. Back at the library, I mean. I know going out and partying and acting stupid isn’t really your thing.”

“It’s not.” Keith agreed, tone even. “But it was a good idea.” He paused for a moment, swishing the words around his head for a moment before deciding to continue. “Things are gonna be changing soon. Better to celebrate the end than sit around wishing it would never come.”

Lance snorted, his eyes turning bright. “You get that from a fortune cookie?”

Keith rolled his eyes, bumping the taller boy with his shoulder lightly, a small smile breaking out on his face. “I’m not wrong, am I?”

Lance let out a laugh and shook his head, “No, you’re absolutely right. It’s just not often you say something so philosophical. I’m slightly impressed.”

Keith ignored the swarm of butterflies that danced in his stomach, instead just giving Lance a shrug, not trusting his voice to sound normal if he responded. There had been very few times that he had ever received something close to a compliment from Lance. And so of course, in typical Lance fashion, he decided to just drop that bomb on the one night Keith was absolutely trying not to think about the weird warm and fuzzy feelings he got whenever Lance so much as glanced his direction.

He just couldn’t win.

“Anyway,” Lance said, not seeming to notice Keith’s internal struggle. “I promise you won’t regret coming. Tonight’s gonna be legendary.”

Keith cleared his throat, trying to regain control of his emotions before replying. “How do you know it’s gonna be legendary? There’s no plan, remember?”

Lance gave him a knowing look, saying, “I guess I don’t really _know._ It’s more like I’ve got a really good feeling about tonight.”

“A feeling? That’s what you're basing this whole night on? Your gut?”

Lance gave a shrug. “More or less. Listen, don’t worry about it. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”

Keith didn’t respond, not entirely sure what to say. He didn’t really understand the feeling Lance was talking about, but he at least knew what it was like following a gut instinct. What concerned him was the inconsistency of the gut. Sometimes the gut would be right, and everything turned out okay. But more often than not, following the gut lead to reckless actions. It led to rash decisions and regrets. It wasn’t that the gut was wrong, but rather that it never accounted for others. The gut never considered collateral damage.

“Keith! Incoming!”

Keith was pulled from his thoughts, the unmistakable sound of Pidge’s voice rising over the usual city noises. He didn’t have time to turn around before he felt a weight slam into his back, sending him stumbling a few steps forward, almost falling over entirely. The air was pushed out of his chest at the impact, leaving him gasping for a moment as the sight of Shiro and Allura in front of him started to spin. Next to him he could hear Lance’s musical laugh, no doubt finding way too much amusement in Keith’s struggle to remain upright

“Christ, Pidge…” Keith said, voice somewhat raspy, as he felt arms wrap around his neck, knees digging into either side of his waist. “A little more warning next time.”

He heard Pidge let out a laugh, their voice coming from right behind him before he felt the weight of a chin rest on his shoulder. “I’m tired of walking and Hunk refused to let me ride on his back.” They said, as if that explained their actions in any way.

“You’re too heavy!” Hunk called lightly from a few steps behind them.

Keith grunted, hefting his small friend up a little higher, arms wrapping under their knees to hold them in place. “And so you just tackle me? What if I fell?”

“Pssh, as if.” Pidge replied dismissively. “You never miss leg day.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Keith asked, tone dry.

“No, it makes sense.” Lance replied, nodding his head but not explaining further than that.

“Uh-huh…” Keith said flatly, deciding that he could never understand the minds of morons. “But why me? Why not Lance?”

Keith felt an arm detach from around his neck a moment before a hand hit him lightly upside the head, a ‘tsk’ following it. “Everyone knows that Lance has noodle arms. He would drop me.”

“Hey!” Lance cut in, voice rising. “I’ll have you know I’m strong! I give piggyback rides to my niece and nephew all the time!”

“Those are kids, though.” Pidge pointed out. “I’m a full-grown adult.”

“Well…” Keith said smugly, knowing that he would get a rise out of Pidge. “A very small full-grown adult.”

“You shut up.” Pidge replied darkly, pulling lightly on a strand of his hair. “You’re not exactly a skyscraper either.”

“I’m, like, an inch shorter than Lance!” Keith retorted, sending a glare over his shoulder at Pidge.

“And it’s that inch that makes all the difference.” Lance said wistfully, not trying to hide the mocking tone to his voice. “How sad that you’ll never know what the view’s like from up here. A true tragedy, wouldn’t you say Hunk?”

Hunk fell into step beside Lance, throwing an arm over his shoulder and sighing. “Indeed, my tall friend.”

“They’re insufferable.” Pidge said, anger lacing their words. “C’mon, Keith. We don’t need to listen to this. Us short people gotta stick together.”

“Don’t put me in the same league as you! I’m not that short!” Keith replied, exasperated.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you all the way down there. Could you speak up?” Lance replied, raising a hand to his ear and leaning towards Keith, drawing a laugh from Hunk.

Keith felt a fire light inside him, the flames coursing through his veins. Before he could say anything, though, Pidge spoke.

“Hey, Keith. Did you know that on average tall people die younger than short people?” Their words were sharp, clipped from their own irritation.

Keith angled a dangerous glare at Lance and Hunk, his own voice filled with venom. “Huh. Interesting. I guess we have something to look forward to then.”

“So scary.” Lance commented, chuckling to himself.

“And they call you the dramatic one.” Hunk added, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

“Alright, guys.” Shiro called to them, looking over his shoulder with a stern expression on his face. “No fighting until we’ve had something to drink.”

“They started it!” Pidge called back, pointing at Lance and Hunk. “We were just defending ourselves!”

“I don’t care who started it.” Shiro replied, expression unchanging. “I’m finishing it.”

No one responded to him. It was always better to listen to Shiro in these situations instead of arguing with him Keith had found. He was, for all intents and purposes, the parent of the group. Usually his word was final. And if someone dared to argue with him, they would undoubtedly lose. He had an unparalleled power to poke holes in arguments while simultaneously making the arguer feel childish for trying in the first place. Hilarious to watch if it was someone else, devastating when Keith was the recipient.  

But it wasn’t like Shiro was some dictator that ruled over their group with an iron fist. On the contrary, actually. Shiro was probably one of the more laid-back members, only stepping in to stop whatever shenanigans were occurring if he really had to. Most of the time, he was _encouraging_ the shenanigans, saying that the only way to learn was to be stupid.

Maybe it was Shiro’s lack of strictness that made the group follow his direction so willingly. They knew that when he was stern, there was a reason. There was never any bullshit. That, mixed with his approachable and trustworthy demeanor, made him a force to be reckoned with.  

Keith wondered what they were going to do without him.

Pidge sighed, deflating. They rested their cheek on Keith’s shoulder, grip loosening slightly. “No justice for short people…” They mumbled only loud enough for Keith to hear.

Keith chuckled, his own anger draining, albeit slower than it had appeared. The flames that had been roaring in his mind seemed to recede, dying away until there was nothing left but the smoking embers filling him with a warmth that was far less hostile.

Next to him he could hear Lance and Hunk’s conversation shift, their pace picking up so they were walking ahead of him and Pidge now. He could see Shiro look over his shoulder again, commenting on something Hunk had said, a leisurely look on his face.  It wasn’t long until the three were walking side-by-side and Allura moved to match pace with Keith, giving Pidge an amused glance.

“I’m sure you’re not gonna miss all of the bickering.” Keith said, voice light.

He could see her blue eyes shift to his face, an indescribable emotion swimming within. “Actually, yes.” She replied. “More than I care to admit. There’s something...incredibly endearing about listening to all of the pointless arguments.”

Her voice caught Keith off guard. There was an underlying rawness to her tone, like she was infusing her words with a level of nostalgia that Keith couldn’t really comprehend.

“Really?” Pidge asked, lifting their face from Keith’s shoulder to get a better look at her. “I would’ve thought you’d be ready to get away from this boy’s club. I know the testosterone makes me gag sometimes.”

Allura laughed, the sound jovial, and shook her head. “Well, it can be a bit much sometimes, yes. But I’m far more grateful to have friends at all. Putting up with some bickering is hardly asking for much in return.”

Keith furrowed his brows, confused. “What do you mean?”

She didn’t answer right away, instead turning her eyes upwards, drinking in the fading rays of sunlight. Keith could see a sadness in her expression, a melancholy that disrupted the usual confident look on her face. And when she finally did speak, her voice was much smaller than it had previously been.

“It’s not easy…moving to an entirely new country. No matter how similar you think the countries are, things are different. The way people talk. The way they think. The money. The food. Streets. Buildings. Just…everything. Alien almost.” She paused, a distant look in her eyes. “Coming here, I was all alone in a place I knew nothing about.”

“That must’ve been scary.” Pidge commented, voice small.

“It was.” She replied, nodding. “So, finding friends. Even ones as goofy as you lot. Yeah, I’d consider myself pretty lucky.” She flashed them a bright smile.

Keith offered a small smile back, knowing that he could never really understand her feelings. Allura had moved to the US to attend university. Keith couldn’t imagine deciding to cross an entire ocean for something like school. That could be considered more than just leaving the nest. It might as well be leaving the whole forest. And to do that alone? Terrifying.

But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed perfectly normal that Allura would be the one to cross oceans in the pursuit of knowledge. In the three years he’d known her, she had always been the go-getter of the group. The ambitious one. There was never half-way with her. Once she decided she was going to do something, she did it. Never mind the people who doubted her.

Keith continued to mull over the sheer force of will that was Allura as the group turned the corner, the neon sign of The Lion’s Den coming into view. The bar itself was smushed between a liquor store and some sketchy hardware store. Keith had never seen that as a good idea. Drunk college kids in reach of power tools just seemed like a recipe for disaster.

The building itself had seen better days, that was for sure. The brick that made up the outside of the building was chipped and breaking off in a few places. The glass windows that looked into the bar were cracked, one being completely covered with a tarp, having been broken only a couple weeks ago by a frat that got a little too rowdy. One of the letters on the sign was out, now spelling ‘The ion’s Den’, something that had made Pidge chuckle every time they saw it. It was, without a doubt, the very definition of a dive bar. But it was their dive bar and Keith had a feeling that they would call it their own no matter how run down it got.

As the group approached the entrance, Keith could hear music coming from within, no doubt soft rock blaring over the dated speaker system. Despite the early hour of the evening, Keith could see a mass of bodies already moving in. If he had to guess, he’d say they weren’t the only group of friends who decided to spend the last Friday night of the school year out on the town.

“Okay, guys.” Lance said, reaching for the door. “Let the single greatest night of our lives…” He paused, blue eyes scanning over the group, studying them for a moment. “Begin!” And with that, he pulled the door open with a flourish, the somewhat muffled sound of the bar now hitting them full force.

The familiar musty smell of sweat and booze flowed from the open door, filling Keith’s senses with a sense of nostalgia. Not necessarily for the for days long past, but rather for days that would soon leave him. Sure, he could come back next year, but it would be different. Incomplete.

He felt Pidge tap his shoulder a few times and Keith immediately let go of their legs, allowing them to slide to the ground. As they moved around him and started into the building, Keith caught a glimpse of them rolling their eyes, a sentiment he was sure was shared by the group. Leave it to Lance to make things dramatic.

Keith brought up the rear as the group entered the building, fully immersing in the lively atmosphere of the bar. It was loud. Really loud. The owner of the place insisted on blaring the music throughout the bar, making it so people had to shout to hear one another. The tables that were spread around the outside of the small room were almost completely full, a plethora of drinks sitting atop each one – most of it being cheap beer. Even more people were crowded around the bar that sat at the far end of the room and he could see two bartenders moving quickly from one end of the bar to the other frantically, trying desperately to fill the orders being shouted at them.

“First rounds on me!” Pidge shouted, turning to the rest of the group. “Hunk, you’re with me. The rest of you go find a table.” They left no room for argument as they turned and started pushing through the crowd towards the bar, their small stature not seeming to affect their ability to shove people aside.

The rest did as Pidge instructed, maneuvering through the crowd towards one of the only open tables which was situated in the far corner. As he moved through the room, Keith picked up bits and pieces of conversations from the patrons, most being about finals or summer plans. There was a bizarre form of energy in the voices that reached his ears. Almost like their words were laced with a carelessness that wouldn’t normally be there. They were just a little too happy. Just a little too desperate. Just a little too frenzied. Keith wondered if it was due to the stress of the upcoming week or to the joy of almost being done. Maybe it was a bit of both.

But as Keith took a seat next to Shiro and waited for Pidge and Hunk to return with their drinks, he found himself being infected with the chaos of the conversations. He could feel himself breathing in the recklessness, the mindlessness. It swirled in his lungs and slithered its way into his veins, working its way not only into his mind, but also his heart. It covered up all of the worries that plagued him, all of the bittersweet lasts that had been nagging at the back of his mind.

Keith could feel a chaotic corruption within him. And if he was being honest, he liked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.  
> As always, any and all feedback you are willing and able to give it greatly appreciated.  
> Stay safe and I'll see ya next time!
> 
> ~Redjay


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